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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28911462">here comes a greek tragedy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/technicolours/pseuds/technicolours'>technicolours</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(in a way), Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Demigods, Getting Together, M/M, Minor Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Minor Liu Yang Yang/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Strangers to Lovers, bella the hellhound, not actually a tragedy, son of Apollo Lucas, son of Hades Mark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:34:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,956</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28911462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/technicolours/pseuds/technicolours</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>yukhei has been prophesied by aphrodite herself to bring love into mark's life. mark's determined to prove the goddess wrong. </p><p>but if there's one thing that remains a constant in their messy, semi-divine lives, it's this: you can try to escape all you want, but you can never outrun fate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mark Lee/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>In Another Life</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>here comes a greek tragedy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>for lumark fic fest round one: in another life</p><p>title from <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/28C4nmrd7BTu0XbOmaTHZr?si=03LDt7xOReWEPZx1PYUFbA">greek tragedy</a> by the wombats</p><p>quick side note: i based this off of the pjo universe by rick riordan, and it is established there that the gods, as nonhuman divine entities, don’t have dna — so there’s absolutely no blood relation between demigods on their godly side. just for clarification since i did receive a comment asking about that!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Mark didn't already think that the gods had it out for him, he really would have started to believe it. He emerges from the shadows in a seedy-looking alleyway, keeping one hand on his blade as he scans his surroundings. It really shouldn't be this hard to track down a hellhound, in <em> Los Angeles, </em>of all places, and yet here he is. Struggling.</p><p>Just then, he hears a loud bark - it resounds above the city traffic, much louder than your average crusty little white dog's, and he takes off in the direction it came from. His "Death Senses," as Donghyuck of the Apollo cabin and resident pain in the ass slash best friend would say, aren't going off, so he hopes that's a good sign. His mission's pretty simple: catch the hellhound before it has the chance to set off his uncanny ability to feel when someone's dead.</p><p>The barking resumes again, ringing out like artillery fire. He sprints, backtracking when he catches sight of the enormous dog, roughly the size of a small car, crouching with its back to him in an alleyway.</p><p>"HEY!" He shouts, unsheathing his sword. It glints obsidian black in the afternoon sun, and when the hellhound turns its massive head, he can barely make out the outline of a person standing behind it.</p><p>As he creeps closer, blade outstretched, he hears a male voice call out, "wait!" He freezes. From the shadows of the hellhound, the boy behind it stands up, walking slowly towards the beast with his hands up. "Don't hurt her!"</p><p>Mark gapes. "Listen," he says slowly, "I'm not sure what you think you see, but that thing's dangerous."</p><p>The stranger frowns. "It's a... really big, fluffy black dog with red eyes?"</p><p>"And your first instinct wasn't to run away screaming?" Mark raises his eyebrows. The boy standing before him is strikingly handsome, but Mark's seriously starting to think that means absolutely nothing if he lacks any self-preservation instincts. "If you can see through the Mist..."</p><p>"The Mist? What are you talking about?" Much to Mark's shock, he reaches over and absently strokes the hellhound's fur; the monster actually lays down like a lapdog, its massive tail wagging and sending a dumpster careening against the brick wall.</p><p>"I- that's a hellhound," he sputters. "And you're just... petting it?"</p><p>The boy shrugs. "I named her Bella."</p><p>Mark frowns, lowering his weapon. "You must be a demigod, if the hellhound came to you. But... you're clearly older than thirteen, so how the hell are you still alive?" He cuts himself off, shooting a glance at the boy. "Uh. No offense."</p><p>"None taken," he says, crouching down so he can scratch under the hellhound's chin, causing her massive tail to start wagging again. Mark steps out of the line of fire. "But, uh, if I'm being completely honest, I have no idea what you're talking about."</p><p>"Well," Mark says slowly. He's never been good at giving the whole <em> surprise, the Greek gods are real and the parent you never met is one of them </em> speech; he supposes the whole "aura of death" vibe he gives off could potentially scare off new campers. But he can't help it, it's not <em> his </em>fault his father happens to be the God of the Dead!</p><p>The boy looks at him expectantly. Mark sighs. He might as well start with the awkward icebreaker. "Hey. My name's Mark, and I'm the son of Hades."</p><p>"Wait." The boy squints at him, as if trying to process his words. "Is this some weird cult? Are you trying to get me to join? Cause I'm not interested, dude."</p><p>"Oh my gods," Mark mutters under his breath. He considers shadow traveling back to Long Island to grab someone who's way better at the whole orientation thing, like, Taeyong, maybe? There's nothing the son of Zeus can't do - seriously, he's saved the world twice already. Plus, he should be back from his “ambassador trip” to Camp Jupiter by now (though everyone knows that it’s mainly just a thinly veiled excuse to go flirt with the praetor, Baekhyun). Or if he isn't, they're close enough to New Rome, it would just be a quick dip into the shadows...</p><p>His internal debate is put on hold when Bella the hellhound suddenly moves back with a low whimper, sending vibrations reverberating through the alleyway. He turns, sword drawn and ready, but then he finds himself staring at a beautiful woman.</p><p>She radiates an ethereal glow, standing out in the grimy surroundings. Mark can't get a read on her facial features - they shift every time he looks at her, growing increasingly beautiful with every passing second. She looks like an amalgam of every attractive person he's ever seen, yet he can't quite pin down where he's seen each face before.</p><p>He falls to his knees. "Lady Aphrodite."</p><p>"Rise, son of Hades." He complies, and when he looks up, the goddess's gaze is firmly fixated on the boy behind him.</p><p>"Yukhei Wong. I see that my blessing has paid off well."</p><p>Mark turns. Yukhei's eyes are wide, and for a second, Mark wonders what face he's seeing in Aphrodite's illusion, before he has the sense to mirror Mark's reverent bow. When the goddess gestures for him to stand, he does, staring up at her in wonder.</p><p>"Mark Lee," she says. "Does he know of his parentage?"</p><p>"Well," Mark rubs at the back of his head sheepishly, "I tried to tell him, but he thought I was trying to recruit him for a cult."</p><p>The goddess eyes him with distaste. His track record with the love goddess has never been the best; probably a result of his reluctance to let himself ever fall in love. Part of it can be attributed to the whole, you know, being a child of the death god, and knowing that all things only end in pain and suffering.</p><p>"Get him to camp," she says. "Something tells me this might be the one to change your mind."</p><p>Mark turns to face the boy - Yukhei - only to find him looking back at him in confusion. There's a flash of blinding light in the corner of his eye, and when he turns, the goddess is gone.</p><p>"What- what's going on?" Yukhei glances around. “Did I just meet Aphrodite? Like, the Greek goddess?” </p><p>“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Mark throws up his hands in exasperation. “Now, we gotta get to New York…” He trails off, eyeing the hellhound. “Hey, how friendly did you get with Bella?” </p><p>“I guess, pretty good, if she lets me pet her?” Yukhei frowns. “Wait, why-” he’s promptly cut off by Mark shoving him onto the hellhound’s back. </p><p>Mark slides on in front of him, craning his head to flash Yukhei a sly smile. “Hold on tight.” “Wait! You never said- AAHHH!” He screams as the hellhound lurches forward, as per Mark’s directions, and they disappear into the shadows. </p><p>“Am I dead?” Yukhei gasps out. His chest’s pressed flush against Mark’s back, and his arms are wrapped tightly around his waist, leaning close enough for Mark to feel his shaky breaths on the back of his neck. “What just happened?” </p><p>Mark gracefully jumps off the hellhound, offering Yukhei a hand when the other boy looks petrified atop the dog. He takes it gingerly, dropping to the ground on unsteady legs. </p><p>“Woah,” he marvels, post-shadow travel discomfort momentarily forgotten as he takes in their surroundings. They’d emerged from the darkness and landed atop Half Blood Hill, providing them with a sweeping view of the camp; Mark always feels a sense of ease washing over him as soon as he passes the boundaries guarded by the Golden Fleece. </p><p>“Welcome to Camp Half Blood,” Mark says. He gestures with his head towards the patch of grass in front of the Big House, where a small crowd has started to form. “Let’s get you settled in.” </p><p>They make it to the base of the hill when a hush falls upon the chattering crowd. Mark can see Giselle from the Demeter cabin with her pointer finger outstretched at something right above Mark’s head. He turns, just as he hears Chiron ask, "what's your name?"</p><p>"Lucas," Yukhei - <em> Lucas </em> - says. "Lucas Wong." Mark wonders why Aphrodite called him by a different name, but all thoughts are gone from his mind, replaced with a sinking feeling in his stomach when he processes what he's looking at.</p><p>Perched atop Lucas's dirty-blond hair is a crown of laurels, and his entire body glows with a brilliant golden aura. The sun seems to shine a little bit brighter upon him, and Mark can barely hear Chiron's words over the ringing in his ears: "Hail, Lucas Wong, son of Apollo."</p><p>Automatically, he drops to his knees. Lucas's eyes dart around wildly, as if wondering why everyone's bowing to him. Somewhat self-consciously, he points at himself. "Wait. Me, son of Apollo?"</p><p>Mark turns back to the crowd. Chiron has unfolded himself to his full height, and Lucas seems slightly caught off guard by the centaur. He looks at Mark with wide eyes, but Mark stands and gestures for him to move forward.</p><p>"What about Bella?" Lucas frowns. He looks over at the hellhound, who has made herself busy sniffing at Peleus the dragon at the top of the hill. She then curls up at the base of the tree and promptly falls asleep in a large, snoring mass of shaggy black fur.</p><p>"She'll be fine," Mark waves a hand dismissively. "She's just tired from shadow traveling."</p><p>"And you?" Lucas inquires.</p><p>"I'll see you around, Lucas. But this part's all you."</p><p>Lucas nods, and his face takes on a look of steely determination. Bathed in the sunlight and adorned with laurels, he looks like a young god - his father, Apollo, typically takes on the form of a young 20-something with movie-star good looks when visiting the mortal realm, and Mark can see the striking resemblance.</p><p>Hesitantly, Lucas steps forward. The crowd parts to let him and Chiron through, and the centaur claps a hand on Lucas's back and leads him to the Big House. Dionysus stands at the front deck with a scowl, undoubtedly sour about having to look after yet another meddlesome demigod.</p><p>The familiar faces in the crowd chatter amongst themselves, quickly losing interest as they disperse and head their separate ways. For a brief moment, Lucas turns, glancing over his shoulder, and their eyes meet - a single, charged moment that lasts for only a few seconds, but Mark feels as though all the breath's been knocked from his lungs.</p><p>The crown of laurels glows molten gold in Lucas’s hair, catching the sunlight and looking like a halo. He can hear murmurs amidst the crowd, commenting on how handsome he is; a couple girls from the Aphrodite cabin nearby giggle and whisper, undoubtedly plotting their next course of action. </p><p>Mark frowns. They can make as many moves on Lucas as they want, but if his hunch is correct, Aphrodite has other plans for the son of Apollo. Namely, using him as some sort of pawn so he can show Mark what love is - or something along those lines.</p><p>When he snaps out of his reverie, Lucas is long gone. The crowd's dispersed around him as well, leaving him the only person still standing there as he stares thoughtfully at the spot the newly minted son of Apollo had just been in.</p><p>He's made up his mind - he won't fall for him. He'll be the first to prove the gods wrong.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Of course, his master plan to avoid Lucas like the plague backfires completely. <em> Typical.</em></p><p>Lucas, despite being (literally) the hottest new topic to grace Camp Half Blood, seems determined to be friends with Mark, and he either doesn't see or pretends not to notice the not-so-discreet looks of shock and confusion on the other campers' faces whenever he bounds up to Mark and strikes up a conversation.</p><p>And Mark resists at first. But he's part human, after all, and the human in him makes it impossible to let Lucas down. It’s especially since he wears his emotions on his sleeve, and the look of disappointment in his eyes whenever Mark brushes him off tugs at his heartstrings and makes him feel terrible inside.</p><p>"There has to be something wrong with him," Mark announces to his friends one night - a bunch of freeloaders, that lot,  who occasionally take advantage of the fact that Mark has an entire, spacious cabin to himself and show up to steal his snacks and lounge around on all his furniture - and Mark always complains, but everyone knows that deep down, he really doesn't mind. He <em> does </em> get lonely in this big, dark cabin more often than he'd like to admit.</p><p>"He talks in his sleep sometimes," Donghyuck shrugs, popping a handful of pomegranate seeds into his mouth (not the type that grows in the Underworld). "He kept saying, 'Bella, sit, stay,' and giggling once." He frowns, pausing. "I <em>really</em> hope Bella's a dog."</p><p>"She's a hellhound, actually." Mark feels a grin creep onto his lips, but he bites it back, hoping none of his friends notice. "The hellhound we took to camp. I still have no idea how he managed to tame her."</p><p>"He's endeared," Jaemin coos. "Look, he's trying so hard not to smile." Mark opens his mouth to protest, while Jaemin reaches over him to grab the pomegranate bowl from where it sits atop Donghyuck's legs. Donghyuck refuses to let go, tugging a little too hard in his direction, and the pomegranate seeds go flying into the air, spilling out onto the three of them and all over Mark's bed like ruby-red confetti.</p><p>Mark sighs, but he's grateful for the distraction.</p><p>"Renjun..." Donghyuck calls sweetly.</p><p>From his spot on the floor, but mostly in Jeno's lap, Renjun flips him off. He looks up, taking in Mark's disgruntled appearance, and stands. "This is <em> only </em>for Mark, so he doesn't stop inviting us to hang out here."</p><p>"I don't invite you, you just show up," Mark grumbles, though his words contain no real malice. Renjun waves a hand, and the pomegranate seeds neatly fall back into place into the bowl with ease - perks of having a friend that happens to be a son of Hecate, the goddess of magic. He settles back down against Jeno from the Hephaestus cabin's broad chest as they lean against the beanbag and giggle together at something on Jeno's phone.</p><p>"People in love," Donghyuck pretends to gag. Then, he turns to jab Mark between the ribs. "So, speaking of love, you and Lucas?"</p><p>Jaemin leans forward too. As a son of Aphrodite, Mark supposes it's hardwired into his brain to care about these matters. Of course, it also just means he's incredibly perceptive of emotions, which makes it even harder for him to try and hide the confusing mess of feelings he has for one son of Apollo.</p><p>"He has to have <em> some </em>flaws, right?" Mark says skeptically.</p><p>"What if you see him at dinner and you realize you hate the way he eats or something?" Chenle pipes up from the armchair - he'd fought Jisung, the youngest member of their group, for the spot and won - though it's entirely unsurprising that he did, given his tendency for victory as a son of Nike.</p><p>"Or maybe," Jisung grumbles from the floor, rubbing at his elbow. There's a purple bruise on his skin, though it's already begun to heal. He's a child of Hebe, the goddess of youth, which means accelerated healing and perfect skin, much to the envy of teenagers everywhere. "He's a little <em> too </em>competitive."</p><p>"Or he's terrible in bed," Renjun suggests.</p><p>"Are you trying to say something?" Donghyuck simpers.</p><p>"I'm <em> not </em>talking to you about our sex life," Jeno groans, speaking up for the first time.</p><p>"But if you really wanted to know, it's going great." Renjun flips him off again, and Donghyuck pretends to gag.</p><p>"You know, there's no way Lucas is terrible in bed, he's definitely packing." Jaemin says nonchalantly. Mark chokes on a pomegranate seed while his friends ignore him.</p><p>"Oh my gods," Donghyuck glares at Jaemin. "Can we <em> please </em>not use my brother and 'packing' in the same sentence, please?"</p><p>"I'm just saying," Jaemin shrugs. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Mark's not that high maintenance." He sighs wistfully. "If he wasn't like, Mark's prophesied soulmate or whatever, I totally would have gone for it."</p><p>"Uh uh. And what makes you think he'd be interested in you?" Donghyuck raises his eyebrows, and Jaemin reaches over Mark to punch him on the shoulder.</p><p>Mark sighs, dropping his head to his hands. "None of you are helping," he groans. "And this 'prophesied soulmate' shit, I didn't ask for any of this..."</p><p>Jaemin pats him on the back. "Maybe it's not the worst thing that could happen? I mean, he is very much your type."</p><p>"No he isn't," Mark argues weakly, but he knows it's a lost cause when Donghyuck lists off all the names of all the tall, beefy guys Mark had been momentarily infatuated with, counting on his fingers. "Uh huh. So, Johnny from the Hermes cabin, Jaehyun, that one super hot buff dude from Camp Jupiter-"</p><p>"Kai," Jaemin inputs helpfully.</p><p>"Kai. That K-pop star you had a crush on, I think his name was Daniel? I'm sensing a pattern here, Markie. Doesn't take a child of Aphrodite to figure it out."</p><p>Mark lets out a long-suffering sigh, dropping his head back onto the wall behind his bed. Six pairs of eyes peer at him curiously, as everyone on the floor has long abandoned their other distractions and are now engrossed in the conversation. "Okay, fine," he begrudgingly admits, "he <em> is </em>very much my type."</p><p>"I sense a 'but' coming," Jaemin says.</p><p>"But," Mark interjects, "I'm not going to do anything about it."</p><p>His friends fall into dramatic groans. "Why not?" Chenle challenges. "Well? What's the worst that can happen?"</p><p>Mark frowns. "You do know that it doesn't work like a game you can win, right? It's important to me that you know that."</p><p>"Of course I know that," Chenle scoffs. "I'm just saying. What's holding you back, anyway?"</p><p>"I think," Jeno cuts in, looking thoughtful. "What Chenle's trying to say is that it's a risk, but sometimes it's worth it." He steals a glance at Renjun, which isn't as subtle as he must think, because Donghyuck and Chenle immediately make disgusted noises from opposite ends of the room. Renjun grins and squeezes his hand, which sets them off even more.</p><p>"I'll turn you both into pigs," Renjun threatens, and they immediately fall silent.</p><p>"Ahem, you and Jeno are a lovely couple," Donghyuck says quickly. Chenle frantically nods his agreement - magic is a dangerous element, and it's even more dangerous in one Renjun Huang's hands.</p><p>"Hmm. What's stopping you, though?" Jaemin inquires, leaning forward from his perch on the floor and effectively bringing them back to the matter at hand. "Is it my mother's prophecy?"</p><p>Mark grimaces at the mention of Aphrodite. Jaemin's one of his best friends, and his older brother and head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, Jaehyun, is lovely, but he has a bone to pick with their godly parent. The displeasure must show on his face, because Jaemin stands up abruptly and points at the door. "Alright, everybody out."</p><p>Everyone leaves with minimal complaints, ushered out the door by Jaemin. Mark's eyes don't escape the way Donghyuck takes the bowl of pomegranates with him, but he doesn't dwell on it, because Jaemin shuts the door and hops back onto Mark's bed, bringing up the touchy subject once more. "Okay, what's up with you?"</p><p>"I can't stop thinking about that stupid prophecy," Mark admits. "Life is already hard enough with all the monsters trying to kill me and people being too afraid of me to be my friend, and now you're telling me a goddess is fucking with my love life too? The one thing I thought that I would be able to control in my messy life?"</p><p>
  <em> "Only a son of the sun can bring light into your pitch-black heart." </em>
</p><p>Mark scowls at Jaemin's perfect recitation of his mother's words. "Yup." He shakes his head. "I never asked for a... soulmate, or whatever this is. I'm just scared that if I were to get closer to Lucas, I won't be able to tell which parts are really me actually liking him and which parts are the ones that Aphrodite planned for us."</p><p>Jaemin sucks in a deep breath. "If I'm being completely honest, I don't think my mother works like that." He raises his hands up defensively. "And this isn't me being biased, I swear! Unless she, like, really has it out for you, which I doubt, because you haven't really done anything to personally wrong her. I think that maybe this was supposed to be more of a blessing than a curse?"</p><p>"Great," Mark comments dryly. "So she looked at my sad excuse of a love life and decided to take pity on me."</p><p>"Well, when you put it like that..." Jaemin purses his lips. "Look, my point is, even if you think you don't need it, you're still worthy of being loved. And you deserve it."</p><p>"Huh," Mark mumbles. He frowns as he suddenly remembers something. "When I met Lucas, Aphrodite appeared to us and said something about her blessing paying off. Why would she bless a demigod that isn't her own?"</p><p>Jaemin's eyes widen, seemingly piecing the puzzle together. "Lucas didn't know anything about his godly side, right? It's possible that his mother called upon the gods to keep him out of harm's way, and my mother was the one to respond. But she rarely blesses demigods that aren't her children... Unless she has bigger plans for their love life."</p><p>"So it's really him," Mark murmurs. He sighs. "There's no fighting this, is there?"</p><p>"Maybe not." Jaemin offers him a wry smile. "But prophecy or not, he's right there, he's <em> hot, </em>and he seems interested in you, even without knowing this stupid prophecy exists. Your feelings are entirely your own, and so are his."</p><p>"Right," Mark responds. "I'm scared," he admits. "Ever since I came back from that quest, I've spent so much time thinking about this person that I'm supposedly fated to be with, and it's been a constant mixture of dread and excitement. And now that he's <em> here, </em>I don't know what to do."</p><p>"Give him a chance." Jaemin says gently. "Maybe he'll surprise you."</p><p>"I guess so," Mark purses his lips. His eyes fall on the shrine at the back of his cabin, adorned with blood-red rubies and scattered bones. He's one of the strongest demigods alive - and that's not an exaggeration, since he happens to be a child of the Big Three - who can summon gems and command the dead with a wave of his hand. He's gone on a life-threatening mission and saved the world with his friends, and he's respected and revered at camp, albeit slightly feared.</p><p>But nothing's more daunting than the realization that he'll eventually have to tell Lucas how he feels about him, and what, exactly, that means for them. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It’s entirely unsurprising that Lucas is incredible at archery - and yet that doesn’t stop him from being awed nonetheless. </p><p>As head counselor of the Hades cabin by default since he's the <em> only </em>camper, Mark's in charge of scheduling his own activities, which means he has the freedom to roam around camp and bother his friends from other cabins.</p><p>Today, he's hanging around Chiron's archery class that's assisted by Donghyuck. Usually, he’d stand around and try not to get pierced by stray arrows as he waits patiently for Donghyuck to finish his shift. Instead, he finds himself unable to tear his eyes off of Lucas's perfect stance as he notches an arrow, the muscles in his biceps flexing below the rolled-up hem of his short-sleeve orange tee. Sure, he's seen lots of beautiful people - the Aphrodite cabin is full of them, after all - but he realizes none of them radiate quite as brightly as Lucas does in this moment.</p><p>"Close your mouth, you're drooling," Donghyuck whispers in his ear. He jumps, wiping at his (thankfully dry) chin just in case, before glaring at his friend. When did he even get so close to him, and how had he not noticed?</p><p>Donghyuck turns back to the archers, just as there's a <em> thump </em>and Lucas's arrowhead flies into the centermost circle - bullseye.</p><p>"You're a natural!” Donghyuck says, surging forward to clap his half-brother on the shoulder. "Nice shot."</p><p>Even Chiron takes notice of Lucas’s skill from the other end of the archery field and nods appreciatively. “As expected of a son of Apollo, keep up the good work.” </p><p>"Thank you," Lucas responds, looking a mixture of proud and bewildered as he takes in the compliments. He smiles brightly, all pearly white teeth and tan skin in the June sunlight, and when he catches sight of Mark, his grin widens - and Mark will vehemently deny that his heart just skipped a beat. "Mark! Did you see that?"</p><p>Donghyuck shoots him a discreet wink, and then he heads over to the younger campers, giving them tips on how to improve their aim.</p><p>Mark steps closer, meeting Lucas halfway, and despite himself, Mark can’t stop himself from smiling back. "Yeah, that was pretty cool," he says. "You’ve come a long way from thinking I was recruiting you for my cult."</p><p>“I dunno, joining this cult was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Lucas jokes. He opens his mouth to say something else, but then Donghyuck cuts in, shouting enthusiastically, "okay, let’s get back to it! I’m looking at you, Lucas! Stop flirting and get over here!”</p><p>Mark’s slightly mortified, but he needs to get this out when Lucas is right here. "Hey," Mark says, reaching out a hand to stop him from leaving. "Do you wanna talk some more later? When you're not busy?"</p><p>"I'd love that," Lucas beams.</p><p>"Okay," Mark responds, feeling somewhat awkward. "Cool. I'll see you around, I guess."</p><p>Lucas studies him curiously. "I still can't believe people are scared of you," he blurts out.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"No, you're just so… cute." Lucas finishes.</p><p>Mark feels his entire face turn a bright red, probably matching the hue of one of Apollo's sacred cherry-colored cows. Over Lucas's shoulder, he can see Donghyuck snickering. He schools his face into a neutral expression when Lucas glances over to see where Mark’s looking, before they shift their attention back to each other. "Anyway, I’ll see you later, Mark."</p><p>"See you," Mark responds numbly. Lucas flashes him another dazzling smile, and then he's trudging back to the archery field. Mark stands frozen in place, watching as he slings a quiver over his shoulder, notching another arrow. Before he shoots, he turns around to meet Mark's eyes and give him a wink.</p><p>Mark watches, transfixed, as he turns back to the target, looking every bit in his element. He lets go, the arrow flying into the air before it lands perfectly at the center once more. Lucas turns to face Mark again, another infectious grin on his face. </p><p>And Mark grins back, suddenly aware of his heart beating rapidly in his chest.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The campfire flickers bright orange, tendrils of smoke curling up into the night sky. The flames are enchanted to reflect the mood of the campers, and everyone seems lively today. Mark’s no exception: not when Lucas had found him as everyone was headed to the campfire and suggested sitting together, and now their legs brush up against each other’s whenever they shift slightly. </p><p>Through the flames, he can make out a glimpse of some of his friends: Renjun curls into Jeno’s side as Jeno holds him around his waist, and Donghyuck seems to be trying to maintain a good distance between them on the shared log while leading the campers in the singalong with his siblings. On another log next on Donghyuck’s side, Jaemin has his arms around Jisung and Chenle’s necks as they sway to the music, though it looks more like an affectionate chokehold than anything. </p><p>“Hey,” Lucas leans in to whisper, eyes sparkling with mischief, “do you wanna dip?” </p><p>Mark glances around; everyone else seems to be engrossed in the sense of camaraderie around the fire, and he nods. “Sure, let’s head to the beach.” </p><p>Lucas grins, extending out a hand. Mark takes it, and they discreetly slip away without attracting much attention. Then they make a break for it, disappearing under the cover of night. </p><p>They’re slightly giggly when they deem it to be safely out of earshot and begin speaking at their normal volume. Lucas belatedly lets go of his hand, and despite the summer heat, Mark almost misses the warmth. <em> Almost </em>. </p><p>“I feel like we never really get the chance to just talk,” Lucas says. “Like, without getting interrupted.” </p><p>“Yeah,” Mark echoes the sentiment. It’s true - whenever they see each other, it’s always in passing. Even today was purely out of chance, when Mark had walked past the Apollo cabin on the way to the campfire just as Lucas was exiting.</p><p>Lucas comes closer, gently bumping their shoulders together. Is he being flirty? Is Lucas <em> flirting? </em> With <em> him? </em>“Guess it’s a good thing that we have all the time in the world now.” </p><p>“Hey, we still have curfew,” Mark points out. </p><p>“Nah. I heard from Hyuck that the security harpies are scared of you, so, as long as you’re here to protect me, I think I’ll be fine.” Lucas meets his eyes and grins, sending alight another flutter of warmth in the pit of Mark’s stomach. </p><p>“That’s supposed to be a secret,” Mark grumbles, though his tone is light. They continue walking, and then he changes the subject. “So… I realized I don’t know much about you.” </p><p>“Yeah?” Lucas raises his eyebrows. </p><p>Mark nods. “Yeah, like, why did I run into you in a shady alleyway in LA? Also, why are you so good with hellhounds? And why did Aphrodite call you by a different name?” </p><p>“Woah, okay,” Lucas grins. “I grew up in LA, my mom still lives there and I've been doing some modeling jobs to help pay for college. I was out to grab food when I heard barking, so I went to go check it out in case a dog needed help. For the hellhound thing, I've always been pretty good with animals? I don't really know how that happened, but I'm glad Bella decided I was a friend and, not, you know, a meal. And Aphrodite called me by my real name, which is my Cantonese name, and that caught me off guard because the only person that calls me 'Yukhei' is my mom, and this one scarily beautiful woman who babysat for me a couple times. And... I'm now realizing that she was probably Aphrodite in disguise." He shakes his head. "Now, I have some questions for you."</p><p>"Shoot," Mark says. He's vaguely aware of their hands brushing as they walk, close enough for him to curl his fingers around Lucas’s if he was feeling particularly brave. Not that he is - he shakes those thoughts away, because where are they even coming from?</p><p>"So..." Lucas trails off.</p><p>"So?" Mark quirks an eyebrow.</p><p>Lucas laughs. "I don't know where to start, you're like, so mysterious."</p><p>Mark snorts. "Well... it's not intentional," he says, flashing him a sardonic smile. "It's just that people don't really want to get to know me past the whole son of Hades that goes on missions once in a while part."</p><p>"Oh," Lucas responds. He knocks his arm against Mark's again, glancing at him earnestly. "Well, I do."</p><p>"Oh." Mark echoes, suddenly glad for the darkness if it means Lucas can't see the way his cheeks are heating up slightly.</p><p>"Hmm. Are you a year-rounder?" Lucas asks his first question.</p><p>Mark shakes his head. "Nah, I'm a student at New Rome University."</p><p>Lucas's lips form an o-shape. "Huh, I always forget there's a New Rome." He steals a look at Mark, before adding with a bashful grin, "I’m so sorry, I suck at small talk."</p><p>"Are you a 'skip the small talk and get right into the deep conversation' type?" Mark teases.</p><p>"Maybe," Lucas shrugs. "I don't know how to explain it, it's just that you're so interesting that I wanna talk to you about other things, but I also don't know where you're from or what your star sign is."</p><p>"Vancouver," Mark supplies helpfully. "And I'm a Leo."</p><p>“Nice. I’m an Aquarius.” A slightly awkward silence settles over them, and then Lucas raises the question Mark’s been dreading. “Um. So. There’s something I’ve been wondering about, actually. When Aphrodite came to us that day, what did she mean when she said something about changing your mind?” </p><p>Involuntarily, he stops dead in his tracks. They’re approaching the beach now, moonlight casting everything in a silvery glow. “It’s a long story,” he says hesitantly. </p><p>“I have time,” Lucas says. He studies Mark’s face curiously, lips slightly parted as he takes in his discomfort. “If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to tell me,” he adds quickly, giving him a reassuring smile. </p><p>Mark grimaces. If Lucas is the one that Aphrodite meant - and he’s definitely the most likely candidate - he’s going to have to find out sooner or later, and Mark would much prefer that he hears it directly from him. What he’s worried about, however, is that Lucas will give him a critical once-over and either laugh in his face or run away screaming.</p><p>A loud yell from the beach interrupts their moment, and Mark's somewhat grateful for the diversion. </p><p>"You're so fucking infuriating!" An unidentified voice shouts, and Lucas tilts his head, eyes widening in recognition before taking Mark's arm and putting a finger to his lips. </p><p>Mark lets himself be tugged forward, and they creep closer to the shore; Lucas looks delighted when he sees Dejun and Yangyang, having an intense stare-down by the water.</p><p>Lucas ducks behind a large boulder, dragging Mark down with him. "Let's scare them," he whispers, focused on the scene unfolding in front of them. Slivers of moonlight rain down upon their hiding spot, and instead of watching what’s going on, Mark stares at Lucas, mesmerized at the way his face appears to be sculpted from marble: high cheekbones and sharp jaw, plush lips that curve into a sly smile.</p><p>He tears his eyes away when he realizes he’s been staring for too long. "You wanna kiss me so bad you look stupid," Yangyang from the Tyche cabin smirks, looking relaxed while Dejun, the son of Nemesis, seems like he's about to burst a vein. Of course, everyone knows not to get on the bad side of the kids of a revenge goddess - but then again, as a son of Tyche, Yangyang's probably luckier than most.</p><p>Dejun glares at him, and then he shoves Yangyang onto the sand. Mark turns to Lucas and opens his mouth to ask if they should intervene, but then he sees Lucas's jaw drop. The words die in his throat when he glances back to the shore and sees Dejun, practically on top of Yangyang as he fists his hands in the collar of Yangyang's bright orange Camp Half Blood tee, kissing him square on the lips as Yangyang kisses him back with equal ferociousness.</p><p>"Oh my gods," Lucas looks mortified, his plan to scare the duo seemingly gone up in flames. "My friends are Frenching each other."</p><p>Mark offers him a pat on the back. "If it's any consolation, this is pretty similar to how we found out Renjun and Jeno were a thing." Gently, he takes Lucas's wrist and stands. "Come on, let's give them some space."</p><p>Lucas nods, though he continues to cast disbelieving looks at the pair. There's a flash of movement in the ocean, and out comes Kun, son of Poseidon, though it looks as if there isn't a single droplet of water on his stylishly tousled hair. He notices Dejun and Yangyang on the sand first, looking surprised before he clears his throat.</p><p>At the sudden sound, everyone, including Mark and Lucas, freezes. Dejun releases Yangyang and jumps back as if he'd been burned. "It's not what it looks like!" He waves a hand frantically.</p><p>Yangyang gapes at him. "What do you mean, 'it's not what it looks like'? You kissed me!" He points an accusatory finger at Dejun. "And stop making it seem like it was <em> that </em> bad! I'm a great kisser!"</p><p>"You told me to!" Dejun cries. "And the jury's still out on that."</p><p>"HEY!"</p><p>"OKAY," Kun shouts over them, and the two flush cherry red. "Please, just," he massages his temples, "stop." Then, he looks up, squinting. "Lucas? Mark? What are you doing here?"</p><p>Dejun and Yangyang flinch, and they both turn to stare. "Oh my gods, how long were you here? How much did you see?!" Yangyang yelps.</p><p>"Uh," Lucas says. "All of it?"</p><p>"Di immortales... Mark, since you're here, can you please open up a portal to the Underworld and just tell your father to take me, right now?" Dejun turns pleading eyes onto him. "Please?"</p><p>"Shut up, I could kill you right now for free," Yangyang sniffs.</p><p>"I'd like to see you try, you little-" And then they start shamelessly bickering again, as if they weren't furiously attacking each others' mouths a few moments ago.</p><p>"Oh gods," Kun groans. He's currently occupied with wrangling Dejun and Yangyang apart, though Mark can't tell if it's to keep them from strangling each other or making out again. The events of tonight have proven that it's hard to tell with those two.</p><p>"Well, we're gonna go," Lucas waves, slightly awkward. Mark bids them goodbye and lets himself be tugged forward by him - he hadn't realized his hand had fallen from Lucas's wrist and down to his fingers. Somewhere amidst the commotion, Lucas had curled their fingers together, and noticing this sends tendrils of warmth throughout his body. He’s grateful that everyone's too distracted to notice he's blushing.</p><p>"So," Lucas laughs, as Kun, Dejun, and Yangyang's voices fade into background noise behind them. "That was... interesting."</p><p>"It was," Mark agrees. "Seriously, is everyone at camp falling in love nowadays?"</p><p>"Hm. Now that I think about it, I <em> have </em>noticed a lot of couples," Lucas muses. He turns to Mark, giving him a nudge. "What about you? Anyone you have your eye on?"</p><p>Mark chokes on air. He glances down to their intertwined fingers, and then back up to Lucas's face. Lucas seems to take that as a wrong sign, and immediately lets go with a small "sorry", and Mark wants to grab his hand again and tell him it's not like that, that the only person he's interested in is right here in front of him, but he doesn't know what to say.</p><p>And then, because he's a dumbass, he blurts out, "I'm cursed."</p><p>"What?" Lucas raises his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Mark definitely could have worded this better. He fumbles under Lucas's confused gaze. "I mean, okay, it's not really a curse per se, but... When I went on that quest in Greece with Taeyong and Kun last summer, Aphrodite came to us and gave me a prophecy. About how only a 'son of the Sun' can heal my heart, or something like that." He forces out an awkward laugh, heart racing rapidly in his chest - <em> oh gods, </em> why <em> did he say that? </em></p><p>"So... you're saying that you have a soulmate," Lucas frowns. "Who’s a son of Apollo." Mark waits with bated breath for him to put it together. Lucas steps back, and his heart lurches violently; it feels like the first time he’d ever shadow traveled, that same swirling feeling in his stomach making a return as he stares at Lucas. "Wait. Is it Donghyuck?"</p><p>He wants to scream, <em> "no, it's you!" </em>but he stands, frozen; Lucas seems to take his silence as a confirmation. "Oh my gods," he murmurs, eyes wide. "I'm an idiot, I'm so sorry."</p><p>Mark opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He looks over at Lucas, who says, "come on, we should get back to the cabins before the security harpies catch us." He keeps his distance this time, seemingly mortified at the fact that he'd been holding Mark's hand before.</p><p>Dazedly, Mark follows, wondering to himself, <em> what the hell just happened?  </em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"Mark Lee, you absolute imbecile," Donghyuck hisses from over the dining table, "why the <em> fuck </em>does my half-brother think we're in love?"</p><p>Mark grimaces, drink suspended midway in the air. Donghyuck's technically not supposed to be here, but he's crafty. Currently, he’s narrowly avoiding breaking the rule that campers aren't allowed to sit at other cabins' tables in the mess hall by standing across from him.</p><p>He glances over Donghyuck's shoulder to see if he can catch a glimpse at the Apollo kids from his solitary spot at the Hades table. Sure enough, he can spot Lucas's tall frame, though he makes eye contact with Mark, sees Donghyuck's with him, and immediately averts his gaze.</p><p>"I may have tried telling him about the prophecy," Mark begins. He lowers his cup, which clangs a little too loudly against the surface. "And then I told him about the whole 'son of Apollo' thing and he might have jumped to conclusions."</p><p>"And you didn't correct him?!" Donghyuck cries. "Mark, I love you, a lot, but like, definitely not in that way. Eugh, I'm getting chills just thinking about it."</p><p>"I panicked, okay? And the feeling's mutual," Mark says, but Donghyuck keeps twisting the knife deeper. </p><p>"Horrifying. Truly terrifying. I have never had a romantic thought about you in my entire life, and I don't think I ever will, ever since-"</p><p>"Okay, okay, <em> chill! </em>I get it," Mark grumbles.</p><p>Donghyuck’s eyes dart around frantically. "Mark, what if he tells people that he thinks we're a thing, and we spend so much time together that people actually think it's true? What if Jaem- I mean, our friends, start to believe it? The prophecy only talks about a son of Apollo. <em> I'm </em>a son of Apollo!"</p><p>"Jaemin?" Mark quirks his eyebrows. "Why do you care what Jaemin thinks?"</p><p>"I never said that!" Donghyuck says quickly. He narrows his eyes, pointing an accusatory finger at Mark's chest. "Fix this." He shoots Mark a withering glare over his shoulder, and then he makes his way back to the Apollo table, taking a seat across from Lucas.</p><p>Lucas looks up curiously, face peeking out from behind Donghyuck’s back as he peers over at Mark once more. Mark sighs, dropping his head between his hands - except his face slips down, and his forehead hits the table with a loud <em> thump. </em>Mortified, he looks up, rubbing at the red spot on his face, and the rest of the campers go back to minding their own business when they realize he can see them.</p><p>When Mark glances over at the Apollo table once more, he can make out Lucas mouthing, "you okay?" He flashes him with a thumbs up and what he hopes is a reassuring smile. Lucas nods and smiles back, but the usual light doesn't quite reach his eyes.</p><p>Mark sighs again, glumly staring down at his half-eaten dinner. Aphrodite may have gotten him into this mess, but now he's not so sure if he has anyone to blame other than himself. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"... The truth is, I'm an idiot and when you asked if it was Donghyuck, I panicked and said yes. It's you, actually. I think you might be my prophesied soulmate or whatever. I'm sorry I took too long to get my shit together."</p><p>"Understandable. I think we should kiss."</p><p>Mark watches, unimpressed, as Donghyuck puckers his lips and tries to make contact with Jaemin's cheek while Jaemin shoves his face away.</p><p>"Boo, this drama sucks," Renjun heckles, throwing popcorn at the "actors." When Mark gives him a look, he sighs, floating the kernels off the floor and into the garbage can.</p><p>"You can do this, Mark." Jaemin gives him a warm smile.</p><p>"Yeah, it's really not that hard." Donghyuck says, glaring at him. "You're kinda ruining my life with this, you know."</p><p>"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Mark rolls his eyes. There's a knock at the door, and he gets up when all his friends pointedly avoid his gaze. When he opens it, letting the sunlight stream into the otherwise dark cabin, he gapes in surprise when he sees Lucas, alone, instead of Jeno, Chenle, and Jisung to round out their group.</p><p>He glances inside the cabin, and all his friends have gone silent. Donghyuck flashes him a not-so-discreet wink, before letting out a hissed, “ow!” when Jaemin pinches him on the arm with a saccharine smile.</p><p>"Um," Lucas says. "Hey, Mark. Hyuck, Jaemin, Renjun,” he greets the group, before turning his attention back to Mark. “Do you have a moment to talk?” </p><p>"Yeah," Mark nods. "Yeah. Let's..." He trails off, turning his head to glance inside, though his friends make no move to get off of his furniture. He shakes his head, stepping out and closing the door behind him. "Let's go somewhere else."</p><p>They walk in silence, and Mark belatedly realizes he's been absentmindedly steering them towards the beach. Lucas doesn't seem to mind, though he still keeps his distance and lets Mark take the lead. They walk deeper into the night, and the soft sound of waves crashing against the shore crescendos as they approach the moonlit ocean.</p><p>It's a beautiful sight, one he never gets tired of, regardless of the fact that every night is like this, since Camp Half Blood's boundaries are enchanted to have perfect weather. He shucks off his shoes as the path crumbles into sand, and then he moves closer to the shoreline, taking a seat. Lucas settles in hesitantly beside him, digging his feet into the sand and absently letting the smooth grains crumble between his fingers.</p><p>Mark keeps his gaze fixed on the constellations, glimmering down upon them from the heavens. "I need to tell you something," he says slowly. He can feel Lucas's eyes burning into him, but he closes his eyes. Without him speaking, all that's audible is the soothing sound of the push and pull of the tide, along with their own soft inhales and exhales.</p><p>"Okay," Lucas responds. "Well, I'm guessing that's why Donghyuck texted me and said to come meet you."</p><p>"Yeah," Mark murmurs his agreement. It wasn't his intention to spill everything to Lucas today, but he's not going to mess up it up this time now that he's here. He opens his eyes, mustering up all his courage as he meets Lucas's gaze levelly. His heart feels like it's about to burst out of his chest, but he soldiers on - he's literally saved the world, he can tell a boy how he feels about him... right?</p><p>"So? What's up?"</p><p>"It's about that prophecy I was telling you about. What Aphrodite said to me. It's not about Donghyuck," Mark begins. He draws his legs up, dropping his head onto his knees as he keeps his eyes on Lucas - Lucas stares back at him, looking entirely focused. "I think... it may be about you, actually."</p><p>Lucas wears his heart on his sleeve - it's a fact he's known about him practically since their first encounter, and it's something Mark's always found to be endearing. Right now, he looks relieved, and a small smile begins weaving its way across his lips. "I started having my suspicions."</p><p>He takes in the way Mark's eyebrows are knit in confusion, and elaborates. "I called my mom the other day, cause I couldn't stop thinking about something. Aphrodite said that her blessing had paid off, and I was curious why she'd blessed me, someone who isn't her child. And my mom said that when I was a baby, my father told her he foresaw me becoming a great hero. But my mom wanted me to live a normal life, at least until I could handle myself, but my father refused, so she called upon the other gods. Aphrodite heard her prayers and granted her wish, under the condition that the normalcy would fade away when I served, and I quote, 'a romantic purpose.'"</p><p>"The day we met," Mark murmurs. So Jaemin was right, after all. "That's when you started seeing through the Mist?"</p><p>Lucas nods. "I always felt like something was missing in my life, and right before you came to me, I kept having all these really weird, super realistic dreams of, like, monsters and stuff. And then I went out that afternoon and I saw Bella. You said it yourself, it was odd that I stayed alive for this long without knowing about my godly side. So it all comes together." He glances over at Mark curiously. "What does this make us, then? Soulmates? Or whatever the Greek mythology equivalent of that is?"</p><p>Mark frowns. He seems surprisingly relaxed, as if Mark hadn't just dropped a major bomb on him. "This doesn't... freak you out? The whole, we were fated to be together bullshit?"</p><p>"No." Lucas raises his eyebrows. "Why? Does it bother you?"</p><p>"No, of course not," Mark waves vehemently. "That's not what I meant. I just..." He flounders. "It's not you, it's me..."</p><p>"Oh my gods, Mark, don't 'it's not you, it's me' me when we haven't even talked things through yet," Lucas flashes Mark a teasing smile, and then, much to Mark's surprise, he reaches over and squeezes his hand. "Come on, I haven't even told you how I feel about you yet."</p><p>Mark blinks at their intertwined hands. "You... have feelings for me?"</p><p>"Yeah. Gods, you're dense," Lucas sighs. "Why do you think I got so weird after I thought you were with Donghyuck? I kept thinking, oh fuck, I've been flirting with a taken guy this whole time? Shit, I even thought Hyuck was pissed at me that time we were at the archery range." He squeezes Mark's hand again, and Mark glances up to meet his eyes. "I like you, Mark. A lot."</p><p>"I like you a lot too," Mark says.</p><p>Lucas's smile brightens, though it falters slightly when he takes in Mark's hesitation. "But?"</p><p>"But how do we know if this is real? And not just us being the pawns in some sort of twisted game the gods are playing?" Mark frowns.</p><p>"We don't." Lucas says, and Mark's eyebrows shoot up. He tilts his head forward, inching closer to Mark, and Mark feels his breath catch in his throat when he takes Lucas in, silver moonlight rendering him in a celestial glow. "But all I know is that <em> I </em>like you, Mark. Ever since you tried to rescue me from Bella, I've always felt drawn to you, and I wanted to get to know you better, even when you kept pushing me away." He leans closer, close enough for Mark to be able to feel his breath on his cheek. "I don't care about what Aphrodite says. I like you. Prophecy or no prophecy, I'd still choose you."</p><p>"Lucas..."</p><p>“Yukhei,” he cuts in. “If you’re my fated soulmate or whatever, you might as well call me by my real name.” </p><p>“Yukhei?” Mark tests out the syllables, and Lucas - <em> Yukhei </em>- gives him an encouraging smile and a nod. “Yukhei, Yukhei.” </p><p>Yukhei grins when Mark wears out his name, and then he shakes his head. "Okay, how about we forget about the prophecy for a moment. Right now, we're just two normal people, sitting on a beach, and one of them's wondering how much more obvious he has to be for the super cute guy next to him to notice that he really wants to kiss him right now."</p><p>Mark stares at him, before realization settles in. "Oh," he says.</p><p>"Oh? That's all you have to-" Yukhei starts to protest, but he's cut off by Mark leaning forward and slotting their lips together. His arm comes up around the nape of Yukhei’s neck as he deepens the kiss, and their combined weight causes them to tumble onto the sand, Mark practically on top of Yukhei as Yukhei’s hands circle his waist.</p><p>When they finally break apart, Yukhei peers up at him with palpable warmth in his kind eyes. "I'm sorry I was such an ass," Mark says. There's sand all over Yukhei’s hair, and Mark gently brushes some of the fine particles away from his face. "I was so determined to prove that stupid prophecy wrong, you know? I didn't want to feel like I needed somebody else to be complete."</p><p>"But you don't." Yukhei responds, voice filled with conviction. "You don't <em> need </em>me, Mark. We may be soulmates or whatever, but I don't think it was ever about us completing each other. You're your own person, and you're strong on your own, you don't need me to make you whole." He extends out an arm, wordlessly asking Mark to help him up, and Mark does, pulling him into an upright position with Mark’s legs still on either side of his hips. </p><p>Mark watches his movements: he smiles, and then he brings one large hand to cup the back of Mark's neck, sending pinpricks of electricity down his spine. "All I'm saying is I'm here for you. You'll always have me. That's what I interpret the prophecy to mean."</p><p>"You'll always have me, too." Mark murmurs. Yukhei’s smile widens, and he finds himself smiling back at him. "No more running away, I promise."</p><p>"Good," Yukhei says, leaning forward so their foreheads touch. "Cause I'm not going anywhere."</p><p>Mark smiles, bridging the distance between them. "Neither am I." Their lips meet again, this time with a little more teeth and tongue as they find their rhythm. Yukhei lets out a breathless groan when Mark sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, and Mark smirks at the way Yukhei chases his lips when he pulls away. "Let's get out of here before the security harpies come," he suggests. "Can't be abusing my powers too often."</p><p>Yukhei raises his eyebrows suggestively. "You know, we could always go to your cabin. So I can make sure you're not lonely in there, all by yourself."</p><p>Mark laughs, standing up and dusting himself off. He extends out a hand to Yukhei, who takes it and pulls himself upright. "Just say you want to spend the night and go."</p><p>"Only if you want me to," Yukhei says with wide eyes. He looks all too much like the pleading face emoji, and Mark laughs again - it's a pattern, he's noticed - he's constantly laughing when he's around Yukhei. And he likes it, likes the way Yukhei makes him feel. Now that they've cleared up the whole prophecy issue, it's almost as if they're just two normal young adults in their honeymoon phase.</p><p>“Of course, you’re welcome anytime,” Mark smiles, feeling lighter than he's ever felt in a while now. He interlocks their fingers, leading Yukhei back to the cabins with their hands swinging between them.</p><p>(And the look on his friends' faces when he kicks them out of his cabin for the night, Yukhei grinning from ear-to-ear with his hair a mess behind him? Priceless.) </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The summer always flies by too quickly. Before he knows it, it’s the Fourth of July, and they’re watching the fireworks over Long Island Sound, booming bursts of technicolored sparks breaking the darkness of the night as he leans his head against Yukhei’s shoulder and they act like they don’t hear their friends pretending to gag behind them. </p><p>July bleeds into August, and he turns twenty-one in the same fashion he’d turned twenty, and nineteen and so on - except this time, Yukhei pulls him in for a lingering kiss in front of everyone when he blows out the candles atop his cake, and money and other coveted small items begrudgingly swap hands among some of the Aphrodite campers. </p><p>The rest of their days pass by in a blur of grinning at each other from separate tables at the mess hall and encounters during capture the flag games, where sometimes they're on the same side, sometimes they're facing each other off in the woods, and sometimes Mark's the one who patches him up when he's not participating - ever since Kun arrived at camp, there was one especially disastrous round of capture the flag that pitted Mark and Kun on one team against Taeyong, and... well. After that disaster, Chiron had to create a new rule, just after "no intentional killing or maiming", which decreed that no more than two children of the Big Three were allowed to play at one time.</p><p>Mark still thinks about the prophecy from time to time, and there are moments where he'll find himself doubting - their relationship, the invisible strings that tie them together, whether or not he's even capable of returning the love that Yukhei clearly feels for him, despite the words being left unsaid. But before he can fall down that rabbit hole again, Yukhei's always there to squeeze his hand or tighten his hold around him as he buries his face into his neck, lulling them both to a peaceful sleep.</p><p>On their last night together, they end up at the beach once more. A few feet away, Bella the hellhound gnaws happily on a massive steel chew toy in the shape of a bone, courtesy of Jeno and some of his siblings from the Hephaestus cabin, who had also forged her a collar and a combat shield-sized frisbee. </p><p>He has his head pillowed on Yukhei's thighs as Yukhei leans back on his hands, taking in the breathtaking view together. Mark turns his head and lets himself stare, admiring Yukhei's features as if committing them to memory.</p><p>Yukhei, as if sensing his eyes on him, glances down. "This is probably a terrible angle," he says.</p><p>"Nah," Mark responds. "You look good from every angle."</p><p>"Smooth," Yukhei laughs. He shifts slightly, dusting the sand off of his fingers before bringing one of his hands to gently card through Mark's hair.</p><p>"I love you." Mark blurts out. Yukhei's hand hovers over his face in surprise, and Mark sits up. "I know it's still really early, and I won't be upset or anything if you don't say it back, cause you don't have to. I just want you to know that I mean it."</p><p>Yukhei unfreezes, and then his lips slowly break out into a stunned smile. Mark feels as though a thousand suns are shining on him in this moment, with Yukhei staring back at him with such palpable warmth in his eyes, and it's amplified tenfold when Yukhei takes his hand that's been frozen and brings it to the nape of Mark's neck, bringing their faces closer. "I love you too," he murmurs.</p><p>Mark beams, settling into his touch. "Well, I was hoping you'd say that, because it seems like we're kinda stuck with each other."</p><p>"I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else, then," Yukhei grins. He meets him halfway, closing the distance between them and effectively blocking the rays of moonlight streaming through from between their lips.</p><p>They kiss like they have all the time in the world. And Mark supposes they do, if that metaphorical string of fate that connects them is any indication. It's terrifying but exhilarating all the same, to love someone and know that they love you back - but he's not so afraid anymore. </p><p>He pulls Yukhei closer to him, and he lets himself freefall. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i may or may not turn this into a series but i went crazy and planned out all the neos and their godly parentage so here are the others (there is a reason behind each of them and i will link my cc after reveals so please talk to me about this)</p><p>taeyong - son of zeus<br/>kun - son of poseidon<br/>taeil - son of demeter<br/>johnny - son of hermes<br/>yuta - son of ares<br/>doyoung - son of athena<br/>ten - son of athena<br/>jaehyun - son of aphrodite<br/>sicheng - son of nike<br/>jungwoo - son of hermes<br/>xiaojun - son of nemesis<br/>hendery - son of dionysus<br/>renjun - son of hecate<br/>jeno - son of hephaestus<br/>haechan - son of apollo<br/>jaemin - son of aphrodite<br/>yangyang - son of tyche<br/>shotaro - son of iris<br/>sungchan - son of demeter<br/>chenle - son of nike<br/>jisung - son of hebe</p></blockquote></div></div>
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